I don't think that solves anything. The problem is that we need an updated driver for "Intel(R) USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller - 0100 (Microsoft)" from Intel themselves because they are the hardware creator. I also have the latest chipset driver update, and have same version as yours shown in your screen capture. I don't get USB 3.0 speed. I get 31.8MB/s reading from a 1TB USB 3.0 WD Passport to a internal SSD. Make sure you are reading from the USB device, possibly a huge file, so that caching doesn't effect the display speed.

Agree. And until there's an updated driver that W8 assistant says is compatible and shows as such, I will not be upgrading W7 to W8. Does anyone out there have a new pc with W8 and USB 3's that are actually giving USB 3 speeds. I presently (on W7), get >175MB/s on my external USB3 backup hardrive..

For your Windows 8 benchmark, are you using the intel USB drivers from Windows 7 with driver signature verification turned off in Windows?

It really sucks that there's no proper intel USB 3.0 driver for Windows 8 yet. I thought Windows 8 was going to support USB 3.0 natively without any additional USB drivers, but I guess that's not the case for these intel chipset motherboards.

"I thought Windows 8 was going to support USB 3.0 natively without any additional USB drivers"

Its hard to believe that hardware that comes on Ivy Bridge systems is incompatible with Windows 8 without them knowing this ahead of time. Personally I think they were well aware of this, how could they not be. Its not like this is some off brand printer from 1998, this is new hardware that comes on all new Intel systems.

Personally I think in an effort to give Thunderbolt a shove Intel is abandoning USB 3.0 earlier than market forces otherwise demand.

Maybe we have driver problems and the two companies are resolving them.

Intel doesn't need to boycott usb3 to push Thunderbolt, the first is too well established, the second is too complicated.

Thunderbolt has a terrific power (DP, PCIe an more),but not for small drives, not for legacy hardware.

Usb3 is arrived, supported within chipset, economic.

For hp79, I did a second test and you were right, still slow transfer speeds. So, with big files it was a step further (2,6 GB single .Iso image at 250 MB/s), with smaller files (2,5 GB many .flac files at 31 MB/s) obviously not.

Did you try going through device manager and manually updating the intel chipset drivers and USB controllers using the INF driver files from Intel® Chipset Device Software version 9.3.0.1025 ?

I am using the Microsoft-provided Windows 8 64 bit driver for the Intel USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller. I have not used any user-modified driver files. Previously I could only get 34MB/s transfer rates and USB 3 devices were reported as if they were connected via usb2. After applying the INF driver files from Intel® Chipset Device Software version 9.3.0.1025 I get speeds of about 90 MB/s when transferring files from my Hitachi Touro USB 3.0 portable external drive to my internal SSD.

Here is a screenshot:

So it seems that the Microsoft-provided driver is capable of functioning correctly, the problem may be with the other Intel USB or chipset drivers that need the latest INF/driver updates.

edit: Here is the benchmark using my Sandisk Extreme 64GB USB 3.0 pen drive, definitely working at full USB 3.0 speeds In Windows 8, up to 265MB/s:

Hey Bowie, I have been looking through your posts and been having a little trouble judging what your exact problem is. I know another poster whose USB 3.0 ports will only function as 2.0 ports, and get messages about connecting the device into a 3.0 port. Is that the type of thing you are needing a new driver for?

My 2 USB 3.0 devices are transferring at the same speeds as Windows 7, which is around 120 MB/s for the file I am transferring.

You mentioned earlier about how the Upgrade Advisor wanted the Intel 3.0 drivers removed. I agree it does, and I notice the hub drivers for Windows 8 are USBHUB3.SYS, where the drivers in Windows 7 were iUSBHUB3.SYS. I don't know what the actual differences between the drivers are.

How is that possible? My driver for Intel USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller - 0100 (Microsoft) has a different timestamp than yours, but the driver version seems to be the same.

I did a clean install of Windows 8 Pro x64 on a Thinkpad X230T (QM77 express chipset). Then updated all the drivers, and also installed the latest chipset driver from Intel. When I connect a USB 3.0 device, it doesn't say anywhere that it's connected as USB 2.0. I don't get any messages such as "you can speed up your device by using usb 3.0" stuff. So I would think it's USB 3.0 now, but when I transfer anything, it's actually USB 2.0 speed. This is why I am looking for an updated USB 3.0 driver from Intel. I think others are in the same boat. I don't want to do a workaround/hack to get the speed.

You're very welcome. I made an account for the community forums just to post that for everyone. I hope everyone else who is having the same troubles that I (and a lot of other people) had with their USB 3.0 ports not working in Windows 8 have the same success that I had.

For those who have a motherboard with the Intel eXtensible Host Controller, just follow this guide and your USB 3.0 ports should work.

I will give you three more pictures for the USB Root Hub (xHCI). Maybe something will turn up to explain certain 3.0 devices not working, and in at least one case, the same motherboad and USB device as I have.

I had a different issue in that I wanted to install Windows 8 from an Intel USB 3.0 port and the universal USB 3.0 drivers in Windows 8 do not allow this. I wrote a guide over HERE detailing how to both work around the problem and how to build a Windows 8 USB 3.0 install flash drive.